Trans. May 7 11:35 ET (May 7 11:35 ET ) Earlier on Tuesday, word was filtering around the usual NBA circles that the Phoenix Suns were attempting to hire Los Angeles Clippers forward Grant Hill as the team’s new general manager. That potential hire would come on the heels of the disastrous regime of since-fired GM Lance Blanks, and the work of another big name ex-player in Steve Kerr. It appeared that the Suns, as run by former Hill representative Lon Babby, were diving deep into business as usual.
It turns out that the team has decided to decidedly mix things up. Former Boston Celtics assistant GM Ryan McDonough is the team’s new personnel chief, and he’ll have quite the task ahead of him. The Phoenix Suns haven’t made the playoffs since 2010, and the team’s roster is filled with middling players with middle of the road contracts that, combined in an unholy alliance, only managed to win 25 games in 2012-13. The team has no coach. The team’s assistant coaching staff mostly quit in disgust last winter . Michael Beasley’s checks have the Phoenix Suns logo in the top corner. There is a lot of work to be done.
And Ryan McDonough is 33 years-old. He, like a lot of us, had junior high-styled lawn mowing duties the last time the Suns made the Finals in 1993. He is the same age as Suns forward Luis Scola, and younger than Suns center Jermaine O’Neal.
He’s also, probably, the best hire the Suns could hope to make.
I don't blame you, Steve Nash. Not only did your Los Angeles Lakers get absolutely hammered in the fourth quarter by the lowly and lottery-bound Phoenix Suns — outscored 28-10 after shooting just 4 for 21 from the floor (that's 19 percent, if you're scoring at home), completely victimized by largely forgotten man Luis Scola (14 points on 5 for 9 shooting and 8 rebounds in the frame) — en route to a bad 99-76 loss — but you got nutmegged by your former backup. And now you have to watch him shoot free throws? I'd feel like I had to look away, too.
On the plus side, at least the Utah Jazz continued to self-destruct , so your Lakers are still a game up in the race for the West's No. 8 seed. Keep your eyes on that prize, and not on what happened to you in Phoenix, and you might just be OK.
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